Homework

Possessive Nouns and Contractions, due tomorrow.

Update

Reminder: Fifth Grade pictures are tomorrow. Students should bring their order slips directly to the photographers.


Math homework: Students have a six problem worksheet for homework tonight, due tomorrow.

Update

Fifth Grade pictures are this Friday, September 26. Students have received flyers with information on ordering. They should return these on Friday if you are interested in ordering pictures.

Homework
I have not assigned homework yet this year. With our new expectations for longer reading, writing, and math blocks, we have been getting a great deal of practice work in during our school day, and I haven't felt the need to send additional work home. I have been getting some questions about homework, so I will begin to assign some differentiated spelling/word study practice, as well as some math home connections. Please look for that by early next week.

Reading
We are finishing up "The First Twenty Days" of setting up Reading Workshop. We have done overview lessons on genre, elements of fiction, comprehension strategies, and how to write reading responses. We have also begun working in small groups during reader's workshop, with an emphasis on speaking and listening.

Writing
We are also well under way with our Writers' Workshop. Students are learning how to become self-directed writers. We did several lessons on generating ideas to support the three text types we will be continually working on: narrative, informative, and opinion writing. This week, we are doing lessons that will introduce the six traits of writing: ideas, organization, voice, sentence Fluency, word choice and conventions.

Math
Our first unit is on Place Value giving special attention to decimals to the thousandths place. Students have been working on reading and writing numbers in standard and expanded notation. This week we are multiplying and dividing by powers of ten learning about exponents.

Social Studies
Our first unit, "A New Nation" will look at how and why our country began and then will transition into a look at our system of government. Ask your students if they can recite the Preamble of the Constitution!

We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Update

Students have received the MES/MMS Handbook/Calendars.  They were given to one child per household.


We have begun our first social studies unit, "A New Nation." Students are beginning to read and learn about the thirteen British colonies.

In math, we are reviewing place value, greater than and equal to, and powers of ten.

In writing we are generating ideas. In reading we are learning about genres and comprehension strategies, as well as written responses.

Open House

Pick Up a Marsh Scavenger Hunt for Open House tonight! Thank you for coming and enjoy!

Update

Open House is Thursday, September 4, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.


Students received FOUR notices to bring home tonight.
1) Open House flyer
2) Letter regarding school dismissal routines
3) Young Writers Project letter
4) Letter from our UVM intern (Ms. Howard) for permission to photograph/use student work.
This needs to be returned.


Thank you!

Update

Open House is Thursday, September 4, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.


Homework

In social studies, students have been working on their rights and responsibilities within our school community. They have each chosen a responsibility to illustrate. Their homework tonight is to think about what they would like to draw, and come to class tomorrow ready to put pencil to paper.